If the Sun-Sentinel's numbers are accurate, then that is great news for the Patriots. The only possible downside that I can see is that (a) other teams may do the same thing, negating any advantage, and (b) teams that are way below the cap that have to hit this year's salary floor could cause the asking prices for players to rise as they get in a bidding war for players.

On one hand the fact that the numbers in the newspaper articles are right down to the very last dollar makes me think that he did get access to specific salaries and cap numbers, and that those figures are accurate. On the other hand the second article also says that the Jets had an $8.3 million surplus in 2011 that they could carry forward if they want to, which ha me scratching my head. Didn't Tannenbaum just say a few weeks ago that the Jets hurt themselves by leaving themselves with no room to maneuver in regards to the cap? I'm just finding it hard to believe that they were that far under, which in turn makes me a bit skeptical about Omar Kelly's numbers.

Regardless, even if Kelly's numbers are wrong, the Pats are in relatively good shape in regards to the cap.

This carry over rule seems stupid. Does the surplus cap space expire after 1 year or does it last forever such that you can have 3-4 years significantly believe the cap then have a basically uncapped team for 1-2 years? It would require little to no skill to pull that off whereas "cap management" as we know it actually requires good scouting, drafting, and personnel decision making.

This carry over rule seems stupid. Does the surplus cap space expire after 1 year or does it last forever such that you can have 3-4 years significantly believe the cap then have a basically uncapped team for 1-2 years? It would require little to no skill to pull that off whereas "cap management" as we know it actually requires good scouting, drafting, and personnel decision making.

Click to expand...

This has always been the case. The only difference under the new CBA is teams don't have to add that money back via phony LTBE incentives in late season contracts (like say a lineman having a $6.6M incentive if he has over a hundred hards in receptions...). That would count in the present year as if he made it then be credited back onto the cap when the season ends and he didn't. Now if you haven't spent it you just notify the league you would like to carry it over. Carryover will not happen to the extent it does now though once the % of cap spending per team rules kick in I believe in 2014 because teams won't be carrying forward more than a couple of million because to do so would result in them being penalized. Right now any penalty is league wide based on total league underspending.

Rather than start another roster evaluation thread, I'll just tack the links to these columns on here to this thread. They're two pretty good reads by Christopher Price on the season-ending roster, ranking the players from 1 to 53. I thought it was interesting where he placed certain players, such as Waters, BJGE, and Ninkovich.

6. Guard Brian Waters: The best free agent pickup the franchise made in the offseason, Waters was a pillar on a New England offensive line that saw plenty of rotation. He was the only guy to start all 16 games at his position (right guard), and was a legitimate Pro Bowler. Durable (he was second on the offense in total snaps played to Brady), businesslike (he was described by Belichick as a ‚Äúpro‚Äôs pro‚ÄĚ with less than a month in the system) and talented (PFF had him graded out as the Patriots‚Äô best pass-blocker with a grade of +19.3 ‚ÄĒ the next best lineman was at a +4.8), he will be missed greatly if he does decide to retire.

Click to expand...

10. Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis: Like Deion Branch, Green-Ellis is a free agent who will force the Patriots to make a tough decision. He‚Äôs certainly not flashy, but his consistency (everyone knows about the fact he‚Äôs never fumbled as a pro, and he‚Äôs averaged a steady four yards per carry since he broke in in 2008) and ability to make something out of nothing (he led the team in offensive touches this season, but averaged just one negative play for every 19 times he touched the football) make him a good fit for the Patriots. If he does stick with New England, expect Ridley to compete for carries as the starting back in 2012.

Click to expand...

11. Linebacker Rob Ninkovich: Signed as a long snapper, he‚Äôs become the closest thing the current team has to Mike Vrabel, right down to the No. 50 ‚ÄĒ a smart, versatile presence who can rush the passer, drop into coverage and set the edge as either a defensive end or outside linebacker. After appearing to struggle with some of his responsibilities when the Patriots moved from a three-man to a four-man front at the start of the year, he settled in nicely as one of the team‚Äôs most important defenders down the stretch. Only two players in the league this season had at least six sacks and two interceptions: Ninkovich and Baltimore‚Äôs Terrell Suggs.